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Mashed Potatoes/Story
'Fondness Story' i. Returning to Your Roots “The couple has found each other in another life, Mr. Daniel. Now you may send them off with ease.“ The red-head mortician, clad in a black dress, hung her eyes low. Her voice was tranquil, less of a consolation and more like a regular routine announcement, as if she were talking about things like, “Your family has gone travelling, you can wait for their return with ease.” But compared to who I was a month ago, the Mashed Potatoes of today could better accept the responsibility of this interaction. I even nodded at her, and had enough energy to give her short and simple reply. “Yes, thank you for your blessing.” “This has nothing to do with blessings.” Unexpectedly, the mortician quietly but swiftly refuted my words. “I’m sorry?” “Your perception of souls must be keener than a human’s, but even now you cannot let this go?” “…I don’t quite understand what you mean.” But she didn’t answer my question of uncertainty, and left me. I seriously considered going up and asking what exactly she meant, but then the next mourning guest pulled at my arm again, and I had no choice but to engage in another cycle of social interactions. And just like that, as I waited for the funeral guests to leave one by one, that mortician had long finished her procession duties and left the scene. It was only then that I annoyedly realized that I didn’t even remember her name. In the short time span of over a month, my Master Attendants, a married couple, passed away successively. I’m ashamed to say that in this brief period, my impression of my own existence, along with my confusion over the world and the relationship between humans and Food Souls, were growing like mad. It was like midsummer duckweed on the surface of water, in dire need of someone who could help me push away this obstacle. Before my Master Attendants passed, they gifted me a human name and a human environment; they taught me many things, like the skills and joy that could be found in human society and life. But they never taught me how to answer humans’ proposition, the proposition of ‘death.’ They had never even brought up ‘contract’ before—If one day, the contract between us disappeared, how could a lone Daniel continue living? –This kind of topic never had the chance to pop up during our family gatherings or afternoon tea times, even till their passing. “Daniel, humans will die quickly, but you won’t.” Even a prior warning like that could have given me some simple preparation before everything came crashing down. And not like right now… Da da da. (1) : (1) Translator’s Note: The original text was 哒哒, which refers towards a clattering noise. Because there really isn’t an elegant English equivalent of a clatter clatter onomatopoeia, “da da da” was chosen to mimic what the original characters would sound like when spoken. The sound of footsteps walking into the hall interrupted my moment of distraction. I braced my mind in preparation to face the next guest. I didn’t expect to be stunned the moment I lifted my head. What was going on? “I guessed correctly, we really do look alike. Hello, Mashed Potatoes, I’m Blue Cheese.” He smiled, and hugged me lightly. It was like I was looking at another me. A me who hadn’t gone through the sadness and confusion of the not so distant past. Suddenly, a familiar warmth finally emerged from my heart; it made feel like I once again had a reason to live. ii. Mirage Travelling to Midgar’s urban area. Midgar is a bustling city. Land is extremely expensive, and tall buildings and avenues take up most of the city. However, the place my Master Attendant couple and I lived is an exception. “Please come in, this is the Garden of Eden.” “Sorry for bothering you.” Master Attendant is a botanist obsessed with researching plants. It’s said that he came from a well-off family, but when the old grandfather was to split his inheritance, the Master Attendant, only fifteen, unintentionally got into a fight with his family. He brought nothing with him besides his goal of leaving the Midgar suburbs for a wasteland others would disdain. After receiving this land, he set up a small wooden house here and continued to study botany. Ten years of research went by just like that, and it wasn’t until he got the chance to publicly speak that he became recognized in the botany field. “Back then nothing was able to grow here. Afterwards, I don’t know what method he used to change the soil, but a few decades passed and this place had become lush and green.” I walked as I introduced Blue Cheese to the Garden of Eden’s history. “Thereafter, Midgar rapidly expanded to its state today because of developments in industrial technology. This place became an elusive oasis in this city, isn’t that right?” “Yes, he said this place is called Garden of Eden. He hoped this place could be an eternal natural paradise.” “How nice.” Blue Cheese appraised. “This place doesn’t look bad at all. If Jackie were around, she’d like it here too.” Blue Cheese leisurely walked beside me, admiring the variety of plants growing along the road of the Garden of Eden. Hearing him say this, I laughed with pride. I had a question I wasn’t quite sure how to phrase. Blue Cheese turned his head towards me. “Are you suspicious of me?” My thoughts had been seen through; I rubbed at my nose, feeling a bit embarrassed. “Just now, you said your Master Attendant and my Master Attendant’s wife are twin sisters?” “Exactly. Do you think I’m lying?” “No no no.” I promptly waved my hand. That’s not what I meant. After all, you could tell just from our similar appearances that there was a kind of link between me and Blue Cheese. “Actually, I do know that the madam had a twin sister. Master Attendant and the Madam had a very good relationship, that’s why I looked a lot like the madam when I was summoned… I would think you looked a lot like your Master Attendant too, right?” “Yeah, when Jackie was still around, there really were people who’d say that. But what exactly are you suspicious of?” When our conversation reached here, we’ve already walked into the deeper parts of the Garden of Eden. It was the wooden house that the Master Attendant and the Madam first lived in. Even if the Master Attendant’s life drastically improved afterwards, this wooden house that he initially built still remained as a memory of those years of shared joys and woes. I stopped in front of the wooden house. “As far as I know, the madam’s younger sister is called Jackie, and she was a famous violinist. Moreover, before she died, she did indeed have a Food Soul… However, perhaps you don’t remember, we’ve met before a long time ago, though it was only by chance. Back then I didn’t know your name.” “You’ve met me before??” Blue Cheese seemed surprised. I nodded my head, with some difficulty. “However… If my memories aren’t muddled, when I met you back then…. You were a girl.” iii. Secret Garden Blue Cheese obviously didn’t expect me to say this. Seeing him blank out, I quickly added: “D-Don’t mind… I have no other intentions, even though I’m also a Food Soul, it’s just my first time meeting a Food Soul with the ability to change their appearance… I’m simply curious as to how you do it…” I didn’t expect Blue Cheese to stare at me for a bit with a strange look on his face. Following that, it’s as if he couldn’t hold back any more, and let out a ‘pff.’ Then he doubled over with laughter, no trace of that elegant composure from when we first met, to just moments before. However, seeing him like this, I felt relieved; the atmosphere seemed to have finally returned to normalcy at this point. “What…What are you laughing about?” I sighed, exasperated. But my tone didn’t remain unaffected by Blue Cheese, and I couldn’t help but laugh a bit too. Blue Cheese waved his hand, as if tired from laughing, and finally straightened up. “Daniel, even though I’m also a Food Soul, I don’t have any special powers that can change my appearance.” “…Huh?” “The person you saw back then was not me. It must’ve been that fellow Nougat.” “Nougat?” “Yes, she’s Jackie’s other Food Soul.” “Other? But I remember that the Master Attendant’s wife said her little sister only had one Food Soul, like herself.” Blue Cheese materialized a violin, and brought it before me. “Mmn, you’re not wrong. Most people simply know that the violinist Jackie only had one Food Soul. However, in every person’s story, there’s always a few secrets that only other people know of, wouldn’t you agree?” I didn’t know how to answer, but Blue Cheese didn’t seem like he wanted my reply. He immediately passed the timeworn violin in his hands to my arms. “Jackie said to bring this violin over after her elder sister passed on. I believe this belonged to your Master Attendant’s wife, yes?” It was a very small violin, only half the size of a typical violin. It must be the version given to children for use. I hesitated for a bit, and then accepted it. ………… ……. …. “And then? And then? So what exactly was Blue Cheese’s secret?” Sunlight poured into the quaint wooden house, and in front of the huge book case was my student—Cappuccino, chasing after me with millions of ‘why’ questions. I passed by him, climbing up the ladder off to the side, looking for even older classics. “Since it’s a secret, it’s something that can’t be said. The origin of this violin is just that, you should put it back into that display cabinet over there. After that, come help me look for information on elf trees.” I mercilessly said to him. Cappuccino was a bit discontented, but he still obediently put the violin back inside the display case. Then he ran to my side, opening the thick handbook on plant research. He flipped through the pages for a while, but in the end, he couldn’t help but bring up the conversation from just now. “So------ Teacher Daniel, Blue Cheese being your Master Attendant’s wife’s sister’s Food Soul, why did he only appear when your Master Attendant’s wife passed away? It doesn’t make any sense.” “Ah… seems he and his Master Attendant had some kind of promise then, I’m not too clear on it either.” “Promise? Promise to bring the elder sister’s violin back after she passed away? Why would they make this kind of promise?” Cappuccino commanded his cloak to flip a page in his place, absentmindedly resting his chin on his hand. “I think he must’ve been busy with other stuff, that’s why it was delayed.” “Since it was a request by his Master Attendant, as a Food Soul, he definitely had to do it immediately. How could he have put it off for several decades? You think too much.” “Is that right? Are Master Attendants that strict about a Food Soul’s contract? But why did my old lady make me sleep early every day? But I never had to comply?” “…Hurry and go do research!” I was dumbfounded (1) by this statement; for a moment I didn’t know what to say. : (1) Translator’s Note: The original text used “choked” to convey the sense that Mashed Potatoes was knocked askew by Cappuccino’s question but in English, it sounds really weird so a synonym was used. Cappuccino stuck his tongue out, and only then did he quiet down. But it’s from here on that I began to zone out. iv. The Growth Ring of Nature Almost without my knowing, it’s been ten years since the owner of the house and his wife passed away. As of today, everything in the house became mementos of the life they shared with me. However, with the various tasks in the Garden of Eden, and a yearly increase in my trips to give lectures, my busy job made me yearn for them less and less each time I came here. This time, were it not for Blue Cheese’s sudden request, I wouldn't have searched for the information my Master Attendant left behind, or even brought Cappuccino here. Only after arriving at the wooden house did I realize that the sorrow in my heart has gradually subsided. What remained of my memories were the happy times with Master Attendant and his wife. Even when discussing the violin with Cappuccino, and the two consecutive funerals of one month, it could all be slowly recounted like a story. Blue Cheese had once told me that time was not friendly to Food Souls, that it took many joys away from their side. But from the looks of it now, while my days were filled with regrets, time also gave them space to heal and rehabilitate themselves. It was like gaining a new friend, a new companion who’s been brought to my side. “Teacher Daniel, do you really believe the stuff that Blue Cheese brought back this time is a type of plant’s seed?” Cappuccino’s voice pulled me back to reality. I stepped down from the escalator, shaking the dust off the book in my hand. “Why yes, he said he plucked it himself from a kind of ancient tree.” “…Though I don’t wanna be suspicious of him, the experiment’s already shown that the liquids inside the seed don’t have any characteristics of a plant’s active element.” “It’s because I haven’t found a way to awaken them yet. Since I’m a friend, and agreed to help, I have to trust him, not to mention—“ When I reached this part, I excitedly knocked on the notebook in my hands, and as I opened my mouth, Cappuccino beat me to it. “Okay, okay. I get it. You wanna talk about your ‘Seed Ark’ plan, doncha?” I laughed heartily. “Why yes. Blue Cheese said this type of ancient tree has the ability to heal Food Souls. If we can truly crack its reproduction mechanism, and have it replanted, then it’ll certainly become extremely valuable medicine! Moreover, it’ll become an enormous and significant contribution to the Seed Ark!” “Cappuccino, let’s do our best!” “Roger that Teacher Daniel! I’ll do my best to cooperate with you!” We high fived; Cappuccino and I looked at each other and laughed. Then, we buried our heads in work to start our respective investigations again. It’s a kind of relief. A different kind of relief compared to ten years ago, when my Master Attendant was still around. Master Attendant, you can rest now. Daniel can still live happily without being by your sides. Additionally, he’ll work hard to properly inherit the love you both had for this world. Let some insignificant truths become secrets for others, forever left in the past. …………… Ten years ago. “Daniel, even though I’m also a Food Soul, I don’t have any special powers that can change my gender .” “…Huh?” “The person you saw back then was not me. It must’ve been that fellow Nougat.” “Nougat?” “Yes, she’s Jackie’s other Food Soul.” “Other? But I remember that Master Attendant said her little sister only had one Food Soul, like herself... Uh oh.” In a moment of surprise, I couldn’t help but blurt it out. I then immediately covered my mouth upon realizing my mess up. “Mmn, you’re not wrong. Most people simply know that the violinist Jackie only had one Food Soul. However, in every person’s story, there’s always a few secrets that only other people know of, wouldn’t you agree?” “Jackie said to bring this violin over after her elder sister passed on. I believe this belongs to your Master Attendant, yes?” --Shh, just let this truth remain a secret forever. v. Mashed Potatoes Within the domain of Midgar was an eye-catching oasis. This place is called ‘Garden of Eden’ – The biggest greenhouse slash botanical garden in the entirety of Gloriville. Aside from providing daily tours to visitors, its more important job lay in its independent greenhouse circulation system. It retains the most diverse collection of plant species in all of Tierra. The greenhouse observation system was built upon this foundation; not only can someone uncover the ecological changes of Tierra on a microscopic scale, it also provided early warning systems and processed solutions on natural disaster prevention. And the owner of this robust ecological trove isn’t the Gloriville government or some imperial nobles, but a botanist named Daniel. Daniel is his human name. His true identity was a Food Soul that was born from a dish—Mashed Potatoes. Mashed Potatoes was summoned by a botanist husband and wife. The husband was called Parklet, the wife was called Rowling. They met when they were young. Rowling instantly fell in love with Parklet, but back then, Parklet wasn’t aware that the girl before him would become his companion for life. Back then, he had just inherited the so called ‘family property.’ In order to escape the volatile state of the family and his relatives’ schemes and plots, Parklet chose a wasteland of a property that no one was fighting over, despite being his grandfather’s beloved eldest grandson. By doing so, he made a stand to everyone. He had been passionate about plants from an early age; after he inherited that wasteland, he built a wooden house there, and began his research on the study of botany. And the daughter, who descended from a commoner family, Rowling, felt rather curious about her new neighbor; that curiosity gradually became admiration. Rowling married Parklet; she didn’t know anything about botany, and she only focused on taking care of their family and holding the fort down for him. But as Parklet delved deeper into his research, day by day, he began to develop a lingering anxiety. This anxiety arose from the results of his research. The data from Parklet’s research shows that the biodiversity of all of Tierra’s plants was rapidly diminishing. And at the same time, the increasing ferocity of Fallen Angels, and the growing frequency of natural disasters all pointed to the same thing— if no actions were taken, the world would eventually head to its death. And so, a young Parklet wrote up a proposal. He decided to develop this proposal, called ‘The Seed Ark’. The plants of the world were slowly disappearing; perhaps their decline could no longer be avoided. But if they preserve as many complete plant genes as possible before they went extinct, they could always be extracted for future use. —As long as the seed is around, there is still hope. Rowling was the plan’s most resolute supporter. Even though collecting the seeds was a painful and tiring process, under his wife’s encouragement, Parklet persisted. But not long afterwards, Parklet realized this wasn’t something he could accomplish alone. Spring comes and fall ends, (1) yet the law of nature cannot be changed. What was needed wasn’t him collecting all the seeds of the world by himself, but rather, the joint efforts of an entire generation. : (1) Translator’s Note: og text was 春华秋实, which has multiple meanings, but I’m assuming that its meaning in this case is something bearing fruitful results over time, like something planted in the spring and bearing fruit in the autumn. But this wasn’t something that could be achieved overnight, nor could it allow someone to quickly make a name for themselves. Aside from Parklet, there were few willing to use their precious time to leave behind their families and travel to all sorts of remote mountains and forests to do this kind of job. It was at this time that Parklet began planning to summon his own Food Soul. Even though he’s never come into contact with a Food Soul before, and his knowledge of them all originated from rumors, he knew this mystical existence couldn’t go against a contract with a Master Attendant. If he had his own Food Soul, after educating him, the Food Soul would be the seed plan’s most loyal supporter. With this plan in mind, he began to research on summoning his own Food Soul, just as he would on plant growth. Unless it’s a gifted Cooking Attendant, the way a normal person would attempt to summon a Food Soul is nothing more than making a plate of delicious food and placing it into a magic oven with magic crystals. The summoning ritual will then be started by the magic oven. Parklet finished reading the manual for the magic oven, thinking it to be an easy task. But the truth was, no matter what kind of delicacy he placed in the oven, they all failed. “Where exactly is the problem?” He threw away the cooking residue, once again failing to summon a Food Soul, feeling annoyed. “Don’t worry, you’ll definitely get there.” Rowling, who provided the food, stood by his side, comforting him. As she said that, she picked up the manual that her husband had been studying again and again for quite some time, in hopes of helping him find out what went wrong. “Put food you love into the summoning space of the magic oven… Perhaps… Parklet, do you want to cook something yourself?” Rowling carefully suggested. “I think the main problem may be… Love?” “Love?” Parklet blanked out for a moment. And just like that, Parklet the scientist, who hasn’t entered the kitchen in thirty or so years, stood at the countertop for the first time. “Mashed potatoes then? They’re simple yet delicious, your favorite, right?” “You need to complete this dish while carrying deep love for it, just like how you would take care of plants.” Rowling beamed as she shoved a sack of potatoes into Parklet’s arms. Parklet wrinkled his brows as he stared at the solanum tuberosum (2) in his arms. He could proficiently tell you its place of origin, its growth cycle, and its biological characteristics. But in regards to how he could turn it into a delectable, buttery scented dish… : (2) Translator’s Note: Original text used ‘Solanaceae herb,’ but given that the Solanaceae family is huge, the term is so generic as to lose all meaning. Solanum tuberosum, the scientific name for the potato, is used instead. With annoyance, he realized that despite having watched his wife make mashed potatoes for so many years, he actually couldn’t remember how to make it at all. Do you add milk? Do you cook it first or chop it into pieces first? “Do you need me to teach you?” Rowling concernedly asked from the side. “You make it every day, I know how to make it.” Parklet stubbornly replied. 　　 But it wasn’t long before his stubbornness got the best of him. Rowling didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry as she took away the diamond shaped potato in Parklet’s hand. “I was only trying to peel off its skin,” Parklet innocently said. “My dear, you have to cook the potatoes first, and then you’ll discover a whole new world—that potatoes skins are in fact, very easy to handle.” Rowling winked. “Now, do I have the honor of teaching you how to make mashed potatoes, Professor Parklet?” That was the first time Parklet earnestly observed how his wife cooked. He was surprised to find that it was like his wife had magical powers in the kitchen. All sorts of complex seasonings and difficult to handle ingredients were subdued under her hands. They lined up and did what little they could to create the final product, a true delicacy. He watched for a long time, stupefied. His vast mind, constantly occupied between plants and data all year around relaxed in this little space he’s practically never stepped foot in. It seems his mood has changed to something unlike anything before. Parklet didn’t know how he fell asleep. Perhaps there was something special with the mashed potatoes made under his wife’s instructions, because this time, they spent quite some time waiting after placing the dish into the magic oven. In short, by the time he woke up, he already saw a white haired Food Soul before him. The Food Soul had a head full of long hair like Rowling, and when he smiled, it looked like warm sunlight. “Master Attendant, I’m Mashed Potatoes. Please give me your instructions if you need me for anything!” “What a beautiful child. Parklet, won’t you give him a name?” Looking at his wife’s pleasantly surprised and anticipating eyes, Parklet’s heart softened. Perhaps… his prior belief wasn’t correct. He had been constantly pondering over what would happen to the world, obsessed with the idea of saving the world, and as a result, forgetting to accompany Rowling more often. He rubbed Mashed Potatoes’s hair. “Daniel, you’ll be called Daniel. Our god given angel; from now on, we’re a family.” Parklet’s original intentions for summoning a Food Soul changed. He no longer expected Daniel to become an obsessed scientist who only knew how to research plants like him. He regarded Mashed Potatoes as his own child, and he taught him knowledge and skills about human society and life, and taught him how to cultivate his own hobbies. The only thing he never mentioned was how he hoped Mashed Potatoes would continue Parklet’s own dream after he passed away. Rather, he wished for Mashed Potatoes to live a simple life, to spend time together with him and his wife in the limited time they had, and leave behind happy and fulfilling memories. Desktop But what pleasantly surprised and shocked him was how Daniel actually showed unusual enthusiasm for his beloved botany. “He’s your Food Soul, so of course he’d have the same interests as you, isn’t that great?” When he worriedly told this to Rowling, she comforted him like so. Maybe this was the carelessly planted willow providing shade (3); not only did Parklet gain a family member, he even got the successor that he’d long dreamed of. : ''(3) Translator’s Note: 无心插柳柳成荫 (lit: accidentally planting a willow tree and it grows to provide shade. A proverb that means something having been done inadvertently but still bears good and favourable results.) '' However, Parklet never knew the other side of the story, about how Mashed Potatoes and Rowling made a promise. Flashback to the day Mashed Potatoes was summoned. “Are you my Master Attendant?” Mashed Potatoes opened his eyes as he instinctively parted his lips. The long haired missus before him beamed as she placed a finger to her lips. “A bit quieter, my husband is sleeping, let’s not wake him up.” “Oh, okay, Master Attendant. Do you have any orders?” Mashed Potatoes obediently nodded. “Mashed Potatoes, let’s make a promise, okay?” Master Attendant said. That’s right, Mashed Potatoes’s real Master Attendant was not Parklet, but his wife, Rowling. Rowling, who had the same special ability to summon Food Souls like her younger sister Jackie, used the opportunity when her husband was sleeping to summon her own Food Soul. Moreover, she was even able to establish a set of rules with the Food Soul. “I have no other requests from you. I only hope that while I’m still alive, you can become my husband’s capable research assistant. No matter how difficult the topic, you have to face it together, and complete it as one. Can you do that?” “Yes Master Attendant.” “No, from now on I’m just your Master Attendant’s wife. Parklet is your Master Attendant. This is a secret between us, you mustn't tell it to anyone.” “Here, let’s high five.” Mashed Potatoes nodded his head and then high fived Rowling. Their movements woke Parklet, who was sleeping on the side. For the next several decades, Mashed Potatoes complied with the promise between him and his Master Attendant, from beginning to end. He worked hard to study botany with Parklet, and even under Parklet’s repetitive requests, followed Rowling in experiencing a life beyond botany. In such a mutually encouraging and warm environment, Daniel matured into a multi-talented yet well adjusted Food Soul. Daniel stayed with the two until they grew old, and just like a real child, saw the two elders off, one after another. However, Mashed Potatoes went through a period of dazed confusion after the contract disappeared, shortly after his Master Attendant couple passed away. Is my love for botany truly even my own because of the contract in the past? How does Master Attendant hope I’ll go through life in the future when she brought me into this world? The subject of loneliness and passing on, which the couple never taught Mashed Potatoes, confused him, until Blue Cheese appeared. Mashed Potatoes’s Master Attendant and Blue Cheese’s Master Attendant once made this promise. “If one day, Parklet and I have both passed on from this world, Daniel will definitely feel lonely… If that Food Soul of yours from then agrees, could you ask him to take care of our Daniel like family?” One day, a long time ago, Jackie passed on this plea to Blue Cheese. “A Food Soul who can’t be recognized with his real Master Attendant?” “Don’t make it sound so miserable! You and Mashed Potatoes are the same, you’re both us sisters’ most precious secrets!” Jackie said. “Secret, huh… But having a family member waiting for you in the future is indeed something nice. Rest assured, when the time comes, I shall go meet him.” Blue Cheese gladly agreed to it. And so, when that day finally came, Blue Cheese brought out the violin as a memento, and appeared before Mashed Potatoes as his family. And it was after that, like he’d uncovered a seed in the dirt, that Mashed Potatoes’s fear of the unknown future ceased and he resolved to confront his own desires and dreams. He’s a botany teacher, and given his passion for botany and instinctive love and desire to protect this world, he became the new leader of the ‘Seed Ark’ project. Category:Food Soul Story